Americans favor law enforcement and E-Verify, not another amnesty plan

Why should citizens accept yet another huge amnesty?

In recent years, seven major amnesties have been passed by Congress. The result? Constantly increasing numbers of illegal immigrants.

Proponents’ promises of better law enforcement were never kept. There is no reason to think another amnesty would be different. The more than 11 million illegal immigrants given citizenship now would simply be replaced by other illegal immigrants, probably in even larger numbers.

Don’t call it comprehensive immigration reform. It’s amnesty when millions of illegal immigrants are given legality for meeting a few flimsy, unenforceable, fig-leaf “requirements.”

No one really knows how many illegal aliens are in the U.S. There are good reasons to believe the figure is much higher than the Department of Homeland Security estimates.

Attrition through enforcement is the most cost-effective, humane way to reduce the size of the illegal population and to discourage others from illegal entry. A 2012 Pulse Opinion Research poll showed that 78 percent of Americans favor mandatory E-Verify and enforcement of workplace verification laws. E-Verify is accurate and ready for expanded use.

We need E-Verify, not amnesty.

Elizabeth Van Staaveren

McMinnville